A joint exhibition · Yes Planet Jerusalem · 2016
Off the Rails
Secular photographer Sharon Gabay, in a special collaboration with haredi photographer Ezra Landau — an exhibition documenting Jerusalem's beauty and complexity.
The story
Two worlds, one Jerusalem
In March 2016, two photographers hung a hundred photographs side by side at the Sherover Cultural Center in Yes Planet Jerusalem: Sharon Gabay, a secular fifteenth-generation Jerusalemite, and Ezra Landau, a Breslov hasid. Both had spent years photographing the same city — each from his own world.
The exhibition's name — "Off the Rails" — came from its signature work: a shared table set on the light-rail tracks of Jaffa Street. From the Western Wall to the city's social contrasts, the photographs showed the Jerusalem both of them see: plural, layered, and shared.
“I don't recognize this definition, secular and religious,” Sharon told ynet at the time — and the exhibition put that sentence on walls. All proceeds were dedicated to Jerusalem's needy ahead of Passover.
The opening
March 20, 2016, Yes Planet Jerusalem
The festive opening was held on Sunday, March 20, 2016, with greetings from Jerusalem's deputy mayor and culture portfolio holder, Ofer Berkovitch. Among the guests was MK Yehudah Glick, who was, in the words of the haredi press, "astonished by the quality and quantity of the stunning photographs".
The exhibition ran until early May 2016 and drew coverage across Israeli media — secular and haredi alike.
Opening night
From the opening
Opening-night photos: Gregory Lifshits.
In the media
The coverage
- ynet — "When a Haredi and a Secular Photographer Love Jerusalem" →
- Arutz Sheva — "Jerusalem Pictures", the exhibition review →
- Charedim 10 — the launch coverage →
- The exhibition was also covered on Channel 1 — watch on the press page →
“Off the Rails” is one chapter in a wider body of work — explore the art world or the press coverage over the years.